Unheard
by hidingwiththedark
Summary: Damon and Elena share their goodbyes with each other after learning that Damon was unable to pass back through Bonnie to the world of the living. Can goodbyes really count if one person can't hear them?


_"So, you good?"_

_Damon's lips pulled into a tight line. "Operation massacre. Assuming Donovan knows the difference between a water main and a gas main... Yeah, I'm good..." Good for now, at least. Damon watched as Elena gave a small smile. How he hated having to say what he came to say. "Listen... I wanted to spare you the gory details. And then I figured; Well, I'll be lying, and then the whole point of saving the universe would be moot, because you'd be pissed. So, here it is." Elena's eyebrows drew together in the middle of her forehead. "Project Kaboom needs someone to trigger the explosion, so to speak..."_

_Elena stood confused for a moment."Okay- Wait, you?" She gave him a look as if he was insane, (weren't they both, at least a little bit?) to which Damon shrugged, holding out his arms as if to say, 'Who else?' "No- Damon, no- Absolutely not- No!"_

_"Hm. 'Go with your first instinct, Damon.' Lesson learned..."_

_"Look at me, Damon." Elena brought her hands up to the side of his face and looked in his eyes. "Do you see a future with me? Because that's all I see." She gently brushed her thumbs along the base of his neck._

_If only she knew all the things he wanted with her in the future. "Elena, I've seen it since the second I laid eyes on you."_

_"Then don't go on a suicide mission!"_

_"Technically, it's only half a suicide mission," Damon said, attempting humor. "because we're going to be bringing people back from the other side, and I'm going to be with them."_

_"Well, what if something goes wrong?" Elena asked, withdrawing her hands from the base of his neck. _

_Damon exhaled a sigh. "Alright, not to relive old fights, but; this is my choice, and I need you to respect it."_

_Elena scoffed and looked away. "That was a low blow."_

_"Hey. I will make it back to you." Damon placed his hands on her shoulders and locked eyes with her. "I promise." He whispered._

_Elena looked over his face for a moment. In one swift motion, she returned her hands to their previous positions and met his lips with hers._

_"I promise you..." Damon breathed as soon as they separated from each other._

"You lied to me..." Elena stated between sharp intakes of air, looking around for the person she knew was there, but the room was empty. She couldn't see Damon, and she never would. Not even once more. It was difficult to say goodbye to someone you couldn't see, or hear for that matter. She would never be able to do this exactly how she wanted to.

But she didn't want to at all.

"Even if I wanted to apologize," Damon spoke, gently stroking her cheek and brushing her hair behind her ear. Elena stiffened, watching her hair, and he heard her heart take a giant lurch forward in it's speed. She must have been able to feel his touch; what with the other side rapidly falling apart. "you couldn't hear me..." He let his fingers flow through her hair to to the ends and let go. "So I won't."

Elena couldn't comprehend how he was so close, and yet she couldn't see him. It was completely unfair. Her face broke into one of even more intense grief than before. She shook her head back and forth, leaning against the pillar behind her for support. The grief and terror had hit her harshly, stripping away whatever control she had once had. It wasn't like she cared about not crying at this point. She cared about Damon. She cared that he hadn't been able to pass through Bonnie and return to her. She cared that he would never be able to say goodbye to Alaric, or Stefan. Most of all, she cared that she would never be able to make contact with him once the other side fell apart. "Please don't leave me." She begged through her strained throat. Her voice was laced with what seemed like hours of sobbing, but it had only been a matter of minutes.

"I don't have a choice, baby." Despite the situation, Damon's lips pulled into a small smile as he watched her. Elena's eyes kept glancing across the room, trying to pinpoint exactly where he was, but he hadn't moved. "You are by far the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my one hundred and seventy three years on this Earth." If only she could see the way he was looking at her. She knew he loved her more than anything he had ever loved, but if her eyes could take in the complete adoration that was invested in his gaze, (he wouldn't be able to look at her much longer, after all) then she would truly know just how much he loved her. "The fact that I get to die knowing I was loved... Not just by anyone, but you? Elena Gilbert. It's the epitomy of a fulfilled life."

Elena's breathing broke into quick sobs. Her eyes closed and her head shook back and forth as she sank down to the floor. Her sobs were coming quicker now, more intense. Damon followed, supporting himself just above his feet. Elena's hands came up to cover her face as she could do nothing but cry. She took in another shaky breath, attempting to regain control over herself, but it was useless. Damon wished now that she wasn't so affected by his death, but at the same time he was grateful that someone like her, Elena Gilbert, loved him enough to mourn him so intensely.

"It's never going to get any better than this." Damon said, intending to inform her, but she couldn't hear him.

Elena raised her head from it's hung low position and scanned her eyes across the room once more, as if he would be right there. As if none of this was happening, but he wasn't there, she reminded herself. He never would be.

There it was again. That slight sensation across her cheek, and she knew it was Damon. She knew he was trying to comfort her, but nothing he could do would make this better. The sensation moved down her arm, and her short gasps for air became more frequent.

"I love you, Elena." Damon said as his eyes took in every inch of her. He would take away all of her sadness if he could.

"Please..." She choked out. "Please, come back to me..." She cried uselessly, clasping her shaking hands at the back of her neck and letting her head hang once again.

I wish I could, Damon thought, but thinking so wouldn't make it possible. "Bye..."

"Come back to me..." Elena whispered once more.

Nothing.

Damon was gone.


End file.
